Aromatic, melt-processible (co)polyesters

Abstract

There is disclosed an aromatic, melt-processible, fiber-forming (co)polyester of a specified formula having recurring hydroxy-acid units bonded to a specified tie-point moiety, 2-4 different recurring hydroxy-acid units being present and one being present in from about 20-80 mole percent while the other different recurring unit(s) are present in a total of from about 80-20 mole percent. There are also disclosed fibers and other shaped articles made therefrom. Some of the disclosed (co)polyesters are mesogenic.

I claim: 
     
       1. An aromatic, melt-processible, fiber-forming (co)polyester having the general formula QX n  wherein Q is R 1  --O-- n  or R 2  --CO-- n  where R 1  and R 2  are n-valent hydrocarbyl radicals of 4-20 carbon atoms and n is an integer from 2-10; and   X consists essentially of 2-4 different recurring hydroxy acid units --OR 3  -CO-- wherein R 3  for each different acid unit is independently a divalent aryl radical of 6-30 carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of (1) a single aromatic ring or fused, co-linear, aromatic ring system of 2-3 six-membered rings wherein chain extending bonds of the ring system are (a) in 1,4-, or 1,3-positions if said bonds are attached to the same ring or in 1,2-, or 1,3- or 1,4-positions if the divalent aryl radical has a single ring;   (b) in 1,5-, 2,6-, or 2,7-positions if said bonds are attached to different rings of a fused two-ring or three-ring system; and     (2) an aromatic two-ring system in which individual rings are joined by a single bond or a divalent radical selected from ##STR11##  and in which chain extending bonds of each ring are in 1,3- or 1,4-positions;      with the proviso that one of the different recurring units is present in from about 20 to about 80 mole percent and the other different recurring unit(s) are present in a total of from about 80 to about 20 mole percent, based on the total hydroxy acid units; and the total number, m, of said units per X moiety is from about 10 to about 3000; said (co)polyester having a flow temperature of from about 200° C. to about 375° C.     
     
     
       2. A (co)polyester according to claim 1 wherein X consists essentially of 2-4 different recurring hydroxy acid units selected from the group consisting of ##STR12## either of the foregoing substituted with one or more groups selected from halogen, alkyl of 1-4 carbon atoms, alkoxy of 1-4 carbon atoms, and phenyl; ##STR13## wherein Ar is 1,4- or 1,3-phenylene, Z is a single bond or a divalent radical selected from ##STR14## and R 4 , R 5  and R 6  are, independently, selected from H, halogen, alkyl of 1-4 carbon atoms alkoxy of 1-4 carbon atoms and phenyl. 
     
     
       3. A (co)polyester according to claim 2 wherein Q is R 1  --O-- n  and R 1  is selected from the group consisting of ##STR15## where p is an integer of from 2 to 6; ##STR16## 
     
     
       4. A (co)polyester according to claim 2 wherein Q is R 2  --CO-- n  and R 2  is selected from the group consisting of ##STR17## 
     
     
       5. A (co)polyester according to claim 2 wherein m is about 100 to about 2000. 
     
     
       6. A (co)polyester according to claim 2 wherein n is an integer from 3-10. 
     
     
       7. A (co)polyester according to claim 6 wherein n is an integer from 3-5. 
     
     
       8. A (co)polyester according to claim 6 which is capable of forming a mesogenic melt. 
     
     
       9. A (co)polyester according to claim 2 wherein Q is derived from a trihydroxybenzene, trimesic acid, terephthalic acid and hydroquinone. 
     
     
       10. A (co)polyester according to claim 2 wherein the hydroxy-acid units of X are drived from any two of the group consisting of 1,4-phenylene, 2,6-naphthalene, and ##STR18## 
     
     
       11. A (co)polyester according to claim 9 wherein the hydroxy-acid units of X are derived from any two of the group consisting of 1,4-phenylene, 2,6-naphthalene, and ##STR19## 
     
     
       12. A (co)polyester according to claim 11 wherein Q is derived from a trihydroxybenzene or trimesic acid. 
     
     
       13. A (co)polyester according to claim 12 wherein the hydroxy-acid units of X are derived from 1,4-phenylene and 2,6-naphthalene. 
     
     
       14. A (co)polyester according to claim 12 wherein the hydroxy-acid units of X are derived from 1,4-phenylene and ##STR20## 
     
     
       15. A (co)polyester mixture consisting essentially of at least two (co)polyester according to claim 2 wherein Q is different for each (co)polyester. 
     
     
       16. A (co)polyester mixture according to claim 5 wherein for one (co)polyester n is 2 and for another n is at least 3. 
     
     
       17. A (co)polyester mixture consisting essentially of a (co)polyester made from polycondensation of a diacid and diol and at least about 75 mole percent of a (co)polyester according to claim 2. 
     
     
       18. A (co)polyester mixture according to claim 17 wherein the (co)polyester according to claim 2 is present in at least 90 mole %. 
     
     
       19. A shaped article of a (co)polyester according to claim 1 or 2. 
     
     
       20. An oriented fiber of a (co)polyester according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 or 14.